Bicycle derailleur system with integral flexible seal to protect moving parts from contaminants

Abstract

A combination includes a derailleur having a chain cage engaging a bicycle chain, a clamping head clamping the derailleur to a bicycle frame and including an opening therethrough, a controller actuating the chain cage and including link arms pivotally connected at one end to the clamping head, with the cable extending through the opening in the clamping head and to the upper link arm, and a cage securing member connected with the chain cage, with opposite ends of the link arms pivotally connected to the cage securing member; and a one-piece protective cover including an endless sleeve of a rubber material, having a hollow interior, a first open end, having a first axis, in communication with the hollow interior and of sufficient size to permit the first open end to be pulled over the clamping head and the controller, the first open end being secured to the cage securing member, a second opposite open end, having a second central axis perpendicular to the first central axis, and in communication with the hollow interior, the second open end being of sufficient size to permit the second open end to be pulled over the clamping head, the second open end being secured to the clamping head, and a section of the sleeve which is adapted to cover the controller and which extends between the first and second open ends, has a bellows configuration.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A one-piece protective cover for a derailleur of a bicycle including a frame, the derailleur being mounted to the frame and including a cage, a controller for actuating the cage to control movement of the cage and a derailleur clamping head for clamping the derailleur to the bicycle frame, with a device being connected to the controller of the derailleur for actuating the controller, said one-piece protective cover comprising: 
       an endless sleeve with a hollow interior, said sleeve being made of a flexible, resilient material;  
       a first open end at one end of said sleeve and in communication with said hollow interior, said first open end being of sufficient size to permit said first open end to be pulled over said derailleur clamping head and said controller, said first open end having a first central axis;  
       a second open end at an opposite end of said sleeve and in communication with said hollow interior, said second open end being of sufficient size to permit said second open end to be pulled over said derailleur clamping head, said second open end having a second central axis which is out of alignment with said first central axis; and  
       at least a section of said sleeve which is adapted to cover said controller and which extends between said first and second open ends, having a bellows configuration.  
     
     
       2. A protective cover according to claim  1 , wherein said first and second central axes are generally perpendicular to each other. 
     
     
       3. A protective cover according to claim  2 , wherein said derailleur is a rear derailleur. 
     
     
       4. A protective cover according to claim  1 , wherein said sleeve further includes a generally parallelepiped section contiguous with said bellows section and in open communication therewith, with said second open end being formed in said parallelepiped section and said first open end being formed in said bellows section. 
     
     
       5. A protective cover according to claim  1 , wherein said first open end includes a first inturned lip for engaging within a first recessed section of said derailleur, and said second open end includes a second inturned lip for engaging within a second recessed section of said derailleur. 
     
     
       6. A protective cover according to claim  1 , wherein said first and second inturned lips are circular and extend around the entire first and second open ends, respectively. 
     
     
       7. A protective cover according to claim  1 , wherein said flexible, resilient material includes a rubber material. 
     
     
       8. A combination of a derailleur mountable to a frame of a bicycle having a device for actuating the derailleur, and a one-piece protective cover for the derailleur, said combination of the derailleur and cover comprising: 
       a derailleur including:  
       a chain cage for engaging a chain of the bicycle,  
       a derailleur clamping head for clamping the derailleur to the bicycle frame, the derailleur clamping head including an opening extending therethrough for receiving the device for actuating therethrough, and  
       a controller connected between the derailleur clamping head and the chain cage for actuating the chain cage to control movement of the chain cage, said controller including a cage securing member connected with the chain cage; and  
       a one-piece protective cover including:  
       an endless sleeve having a hollow interior, said sleeve being made of a flexible, resilient material,  
       a first open end at one end of said sleeve and in communication with said hollow interior, said first open end being of sufficient size to permit said first open end to be pulled over said derailleur clamping head and said controller, said first open end being secured to said cage securing member, said first open end having a first central axis, and  
       a second open end at an opposite end of said sleeve and in communication with said hollow interior, said second open end being of sufficient size to permit said second open end to be pulled over said derailleur clamping head, said second open end being secured to said derailleur clamping head, said second open end having a second central axis which is out of alignment with said first central axis, and  
       at least a section of said sleeve which is adapted to cover said controller and which extends between said first and second open ends, having a bellows configuration.  
     
     
       9. A combination according to claim  8 , wherein said first and second central axes are generally perpendicular to each other. 
     
     
       10. A combination according to claim  8 , wherein said derailleur is a rear derailleur. 
     
     
       11. A combination according to claim  8 , wherein said sleeve further includes a generally parallelepiped section contiguous with said bellows section and in open communication therewith, with said second open end being formed in said parallelepiped section and said first open end being formed in said bellows section. 
     
     
       12. A combination according to claim  8 , wherein: 
       said cage securing member includes a first recessed section;  
       said derailleur clamping head includes a second recessed section;  
       said first open end includes a first inturned lip for engaging within the first recessed section; and  
       said second open end includes a second inturned lip for engaging within the second recessed section.  
     
     
       13. A combination according to claim  8 , wherein said first and second inturned lips are circular and extend around the entire first and second open ends, respectively. 
     
     
       14. A combination according to claim  8 , further comprising tie wraps for engaging around said first and second open ends in order to tie said first and second open ends to said cage securing member and said derailleur clamping head, respectively. 
     
     
       15. A combination according to claim  8 , wherein said flexible, resilient material includes a rubber material. 
     
     
       16. A combination according to claim  8 , wherein said controller further includes an upper link arm and a lower link arm, each pivotally connected at one end to the derailleur clamping head, with the device for actuating being connected through the opening in the derailleur clamping head and to the upper link arm for actuating the controller, with opposite ends of the link arms pivotally connected to the cage securing member. 
     
     
       17. A combination according to claim  16 , wherein said upper link arm includes an arm extension and the device for actuating is connected to the arm extension.